Apparently, the acoustic weapons are here

Not acceptable in many foreign ports of call. In fact, how do you think our coast guard would react to ships equipped with this kind of armament cruising into any US port.

So, are you asying that you'd prefer a world in which no matter where you go to enjoy the scenery, you have to be bristling with guns?

Shudder! Rich

Or, better still, arm each passenger with a pistol[0], and let the "pirates" board, and when they come into your stateroom to rob you, you cap them. Much like the Atheist Airlines anti-hijacking scenario. ;-)

I mean, f'cry sakes! This was like, 6 guys in what looked like a rowboat! They call themselves "Pirates?" Pfaugh!

Cheers! Rich [0] and make them take a proficiency test...

Well, piracy, yeah, sure. On the ship, the captain is the captain, period. Usually, however, on pleasure cruises, I'd think that ... well ... just rambling here - it would be good to have some kind of defenses, but not make them obvious. Like a Concealed Carry Permit for every vessel [And every person, too, don't forget!] such that when you're about to be piratized, you can defend yourself.

But, wouldn't the world be a much more beautiful place if we didn't insist on having all of these wars and dichotomies and things? After all, what's the motivation of the robber? To get the gold of the wealthy, of course. They have to take it since they didn't inherit it. ;-p

Thanks, Rich

"I assure you, our weapons are only defensive!"

;-p Rich

So, maybe we need a new model for this "culture" stuff, that doesn't depend on killing people.

Can you imagine the things that Humankind could accomplish if we were ALL ON THE SAME TEAM????!!

Ach, I fantasize.

Thanks, Rich

I do wonder, though, what is the motivation for a suicide bomber to, well, suicide bomb.

Anybody got a clue? Or want to lobby for a Government Grant to Study The Problem? ;-)

Thanks! Rich

There have been a number of serious attempts to explain suicide bombing. It seems that suicide bombing in its modern form was developed in Sri Lanka by the (Hindu) Tamil Tigers. But the idea of fighting to an inevitable death is hardly new. The basic ingredients needed are a religious fighter (the actual religion matters little - the tactics have been used historically by Muslims, Hindus, Christians, and many others - but it is easier to go to your death if you have a promise of an afterlife), an overwhelmingly powerful enemy (so that desperate tactics are needed), and a "sub-human" enemy (normally meaning an enemy of a different religion, or a particularly hated enemy).

There appears to be no serious correlation with things like poverty, oppression, or any particular religion (though being strongly religious is a major influence). Being desperate is not enough (there are plenty of oppressed and desperate people around the world), nor is a religious conflict enough. It takes all three factors to make a suicide bomber, as the bomber has to overcome both personal fears and moral dilemmas - all major religions condemn both suicide and killing without just cause (in the case of Christianity and Islam, killing even *with* just cause is strongly discouraged). The bomber has to feel that the end justifies the means - not easy under the circumstances.

I can't remember references for the articles I've read explaining this - a quick Google search should find them.

problem:

If it was possible to get them wired up to one of those video game consoles, sure ;-).

If you go on a "pleasure cruise" on an airliner these days, it is likely to be fitted with anti-missile hardware and in the future all aircraft will be so equippe. It is the way of the world.

Get Real: Even if you kill yourself, in shame over your imagined evilness you would piss someone off!

It would be much, much better if we stopped whining & worrying so much about pissing people - especially the people who are always looking for an excuse to be angry - off.

For how many *more* centuries should it be *our fault* that f.ex. countries in Africa or the Middle East generally - in spite of their self-inflicted cultural superiority - has not even progressed to exporting chips in potato? They do not like "The Science Game" because the rules are contrary to their religion and culture - so they do not want to take part. So they will keep living, i.e. grubbing to survive, like everybody did 800 years ago.

But that is a choice - with choice comes consequences. Some people do not like that their bad decisions have consequences. Then they try to blame everybody else. The grand fallacy is to accept that kind of attitude as a reasonable argument thus re-enforcing the stupid behaviour and making it appear effective.

In this country f.ex. certain rules, conventions and customs apply. There is a distinct minority that find that offensive.

There is, unfortunately, a larger minority that sides with the offended, claiming that society should accomodate the disaffected, to engage in "dialogue" and "understanding", forgetting that the culture that is *here* has proven it's worth by being the one that *created* this society and the wealth within it - and maybe it would be easier for all parties concerned if the disaffected would go somewhere more appropriate for their taste.

In real life, we see that apparently in the choice between wellfare checks and "a proper society" the wellfare check wins every time showing the disaffected as the whining hypocrites they really are.

Pissing such people off should be on everybody's daily todo list; they do so royally deserve it!

For Example:

A Danish newspaper, "Jyllands Posten" made some carricatures and pictures of Mohammed, undoubtably to smoke some of those people out. (Especially "secular" Turkey - Bye, Bye, EU membership or the EU if they go ahead).

Then we got all manner of self-annointed Muslim "representatives" claiming outrage and "native" Danes writing stupid letters in support of the outraged along the lines of: "whatever would the Christians/Christian Church say if someone did that with Jesus/God" in spite of the worlds churches being wall-to-wall with images of said deities - all commisioned and paid for by the Church and rich believers!!

Fer ricekakes, it's obvious, the Church will say: "Nice work Omar. What would that be cash, without the bill"?

There is apparently no limit to how stupid "people-who-do-not-wish-to-offens" can bring themselves to be in the interest of their demented cause.

You do not want to be associated with those people!

PS:

One can - of course - buy glossy posters of Mohammed from street sellers in f.ex. Egypt, Iran and Tyrkey .... which put's a nice spin on it, I think. "Muslim representatives", my bum indeed.

You sound like a true knower of cluelessness ..

#define "agression", which version are we talking about?

Bin Laden's, Robert Mugabe, Chairman Mao or perhaps the dictionary definition of the word??

Check up on your history lesson(1) and the condition of man in general: It is always like that in this world, probably ever since Ogg learned to club the saber-toothed tiger on the head as an alternative to outrunning the slowest member of the tribe!!

The Internet, Science, Technology, Television, Books i.e. Western Culture will destroy and pollute everything Osama and friends hold dear. According to Islam Allah creates the universe continously - if Allah gets sufficiently annoyed he just might quit doing it. So Osama is fighting for the survival of the universe. That is why he must destroy your culture before it destroys his - or you can choose destroy it yourself and convert to Osama's version of Islam for the sake of "peace".

That was the offer given to you after 9/11 by the man himself. You think you can negotiate something better here?

Globalisation has placed your belief system and his in the same arena and they are so fundamentally opposed that one will just have to go. That is how simple it is, really.

The slander underscores the failure to make an argument.

I thought it was "concealed carrying of firearms" that was illegal ...

It should be legal i Arizona and Texas though - LOL

Richard the Dreaded Libertarian wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@example.net:

I sincerely hope you don't think THAT is the reason for much of the planet's strife(or that was why pirates attacked a cruise ship); that the US is "pissing off everybody"???

It's not so.

They were about 2 - 3 inches from each other. The combination screeched horribly! Just the right amount of interference to make it worse.

Al

"Rich Grise, Plainclothes Hippie" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@example.com:

Small arms on a cruise ship would not be any threat to a port or nation's security.

Ah,the Utopian's lament;If only.....

More wishful thinking,not based in reality.

"Rich Grise, Plainclothes Hippie" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@example.com:

Exactly;Utopian FANTASY.

As if there are no bad guys,or evil people.

"Rich, Under the Affluence" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@example.net:

Lots of suicidal people want to take others with them. "teach them a lesson",etc.

Then there's the "XX# of virgins in Paradise" reward/brainwashing by Islamic religion.

No, You socialize/communize ;-)

...Jim Thompson

The United States Military being ordered to initiate hostilities against Iraq.

The United States supporting the Israeli destruction of Lebanon.

All with stolen taxpayer money or borrowed big oil money.

That sort of thing.

Gawd, I wish you people could recover from your brainlock.

Thanks, Rich

Of course! That's why we have to _change_ REALITY! There's instructions on how to do so at